A truly, truly horrific legislative "rider" has been attached to the US Senate's appropriation bill (the money they use to fund the government bureaucracy). The bill would immediately invalidate all lawsuits that have thus far stopped Southern Oregon's Biscuit timber sale (the largest logging project in the history of US public lands; see www.siskiyou.org for more info), including the lawsuits on the 12.5 SQUARE MILES of pristine, untouched roadless areas. In essence it would make the complete logging of all of the Biscuit timber sale the law and 100% unstopable by legal means.
Furthermore, it would reverse one of Bark's major environmental victories of this year, the court ruling that found that the Forest Service had failed to protect Spotted Owls by frequently allowing logging in the owl's "critical habitat" (see http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/08/294184.shtml).
Lastly, it would legislate the so called "no surprises" rule, which essentially offers a warranty to property owners who take part in the conservation plans, guaranteeing that once they commit to a plan, no new scientific data can affect their ability to build (see http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp...).
If you are the Senator-calling type please do so ASAP!
Save the Wild Siskiyou from Lawless Logging!
Calls Needed Today!
Oregon Senator Gordon Smith is continuing to push a salvage logging rider that would suspend all environmental laws and expedite clearcutting across vast roadless and old growth forests in the Biscuit fire area in the Siskiyou National Forest in southern Oregon. This extreme rider may move through Congress this week. Our rights, our taxpayer dollars and our wild Siskiyou forests hang in the balance!
Gordon Smith's lawless logging rider would:
- legislate the largest Forest Service logging project in modern history
- allow the government to violate environmental laws without accountability
- degrade more than 48,000 acres of wild, roadless forest
- clearcut across roughly 12.5 sqare miles of roadless forest and an additional 10 square miles of 'old growth reserve' areas.
Join people from across the country in stopping this extreme threat to the wild Siskiyou. The time to act is immediately -- the rider could move through Congress within days!
TAKE ACTION NOW! Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or call toll free at 1-800-839-5276 and ask to be transferred to the elected officials listed below.
Tell elected officials to:
1. Oppose Senator Gordon Smith's lawless logging rider and any legislation that locks courthouse doors and legislates logging in Biscuit fire affected parts of the wild Siskiyou.
2. Create a Siskiyou Wild Rivers National Conservation Area to protect this special place for future generations.
If you live in Oregon, the most important officials to call are:
1. Senator Ron Wyden (thank him for opposing the Biscuit rider, and ask him to fight hard against it).
2. Representative Peter DeFazio (ask him to speak out forcefully against this rider in his district).
3. Senator Gordon Smith (ask him to withdraw his extreme lawless logging rider).
If you live in Washington state, the most important officials to call are:
1. Representative Norm Dicks (ask him to oppose the addition of a Biscuit rider to the Omnibus Appropriations bill moving forward this week).
2. Senator Maria Cantwell.
3. Senator Patty Murray.
If you live elsewhere, please call your Senators.
To find the names of your Senators, go to: http://www.senate.gov/.
Call 1-800-839-5276 to connect toll-free to any member of the US Congress. Ask for the elected official you would like to speak with.
In addition to calls, you can always send a free fax from the Siskiyou Project website to Oregon officials: www.siskiyou.org (select "Stop Smith's Lawless Rider" from the "Take Action" menu on the front page).
MORE INFO
Why would Gordon Smith push such an unreasonable, extreme scheme on the American public? During his last election campaign, Gordon Smith received $151,559 from politically-connected logging corporations; more than any other Senator in the United States. Unfortunately, in today's America, political paybacks are business as usual for politicians, and Gordon Smith seems more than willing to sacrifice the wild Siskiyou for dirty politics.
A lawless logging rider may happen whenever appropriations bills (large bills that fund the government) are taken up by Congress. An omnibus appropriation bill (one that combines several large appropriations bills) is expected to move through Congress before the Thanksgiving recess. Unlike normal bills in Congress, a rider can appear without warning, so if we wait for it to be attached to an appropriations bill, it will be too late. This means we need to work hard right now to shield the wild Siskiyou from this unprecedented attack. We need everyone (yes, you!) to stand together now.
Thanks to all of you who called and wrote Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden over the last year: he has publicly stated that he will oppose a Biscuit rider. While this is good news, we cannot rest. We need to thank Senator Wyden and hold him to his promise. We need to make sure that Senator Wyden's stated opposition to a rider includes actively fighting against it, not just publicly opposing it. If we create enough pressure, he will defend the wild Siskiyou.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
1. Help organize a slideshow in your home, business, faith center, school or community. The Siskiyou Project offers free slideshows that motivate, educate and empower participants to help save the wild Siskiyou. It is easier than you think. Call (503) 222-6101 (outside of southern Oregon) or (541) 592-4459 to learn more.
2. Volunteer! The Siskiyou Project needs volunteers for mailings, phone-banking and more. Call (541) 592-4459 if you live in southern Oregon or northern California. Call (503) 222-6101 anywhere else.
You can send a free fax to elected officials from the Siskiyou Project website: www.siskiyou.org.
For more information, contact the Siskiyou Project:
Siskiyou Project
9335 Takilma Road, Cave Junction, OR 97523
(541) 592-4459
Siskiyou Project - campaign office
917 SW Oak, suite 407
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 222-6101
homepage: http://www.bark-out.org
phone: 503-331-0374
ABOVE: Logging from the Inde timber sale in the Biscuit Timber Sale complex earlier this fall.
Brian Frank
Office Administrator / Volunteer Coordinator
Bark
503.331.0374
brian@bark-out.org
www.bark-out.org
Join us on 2nd Sunday Bark-about! We meet the second Sunday of every month at the Daily Grind (SE Hawthorne & 40th) promptly at 9:15 am and carpool to hike a different controversial timber sale on Mt. Hood National Forest. Email, call us or visit www.bark-out.org for more information!